Day One
Arrive at your accommodation and check-in. Choose to see Cambridge from the inside with a stay in a College or maybe your group would prefer a city centre hotel. From 4-star properties to boutique style and apart-hotels there's something for every taste and budget.
Must Visit Museums
A group visit to one of the University's many impressive museums is a good starting point, with more than five million artworks, artefacts, and specimens housed in the University’s museums alone, there is plenty to explore, no matter what your interests are. Led by expert curators, group tours allow visitors to see behind the scenes and in some cases, smaller groups may choose to see collections not usually on display to the general public.
End the visit with a private drinks reception and maybe some canapes to see the group through to dinner!
A short wander will get the group back to their lodgings where guests can check in, refresh and relax.
Private Dining in a Historic Cambridge College
Delve deeper into Cambridge’s academic history and traditions by experiencing a private dinner in a Cambridge College! Enjoy pre-dinner drinks in a range of stunning settings with plenty of photo opportunities, followed by a sumptuous meal guaranteed to suit every diner’s requirements.
With access to areas not generally open to the public, this is a unique and memorable way to entertain key clients, reward staff or simply celebrate in style. Bespoke menus are created by in-house teams and offered with fine wines from the College cellars. Guests are waited on by experienced butlers in ancient, majestic halls, some lit only by candlelight, or in historic dining rooms with warming open fires.
Looking to elevate the experience? Consider a chauffeured punt to transport guests directly to the venue over a glass of champagne. Many of the Colleges also offer the opportunity of a tour before dinner or perhaps an expert after-dinner speaker could be the perfect end to your first day.
Day Two
A Walk Through Time
After a hearty breakfast at your accommodation, it's time to hit the streets to learn more about Cambridge's rich heritage. Discover the stories of the city with a bespoke guided walking tour for your group. There are a range of organisations offering the services of Blue and Green Badge accredited guides covering a wide range of topics, from architecture to espionage; literature to Pink Floyd or for a bit of fun, explore the spooky side on a ghost tour!
Build Connections over Lunch
Cambridge is a foodie destination with an enviable independent restaurant scene offering plenty of private dining spaces for your group whether you would like a quick bite or a long, relaxing lunch. Or if the weather is favourable, enjoy a picnic on one of Cambridge's many open spaces and parklands. Cambridge institution and famed bakery, Fitzbillies, provide picnics packed with a range of luxury baked goods and local delicacies, with advance notice.
History on the Shelves
There are over 100 libraries in Cambridge many housing ancient and important, seminal manuscripts that have been poured over by scholars for centuries. The Parker Library at Corpus Christi College is internationally renowned for its important collection of medieval manuscripts and it is one of the most significant surviving Renaissance libraries in Europe, group tours are available with advance booking.
Regarded as the Jewel in the Crown of Magdalene College, Pepys Library is a rare example of a 17th-century private library, it was bequeathed to the College by the famous diarist, Samuel Pepys. Group visits can be booked in advance giving visitors the opportunity to visit the treasures of the library which were collected over Pepys’s lifetime and still preserved in the original oak bookcases designed by Pepys in 1666.
Try a Traditional English Pub
On your second night in the city, why not go informal with dinner and a pint or two in the cosy setting of one of the city's historical public houses, or pubs as we know them?
Cambridge is overflowing with pubs from the traditional to the trendy. You can find home-cooked food, tasty pub grub and gastro pubs to satisfy all appetites. Many offer bookable private areas for groups or if you want to keep it very exclusive you can book out the whole bar!
Choose your spot, from a riverside location where you can sip a drink and watch the punts glide by to a cosy country pub full of olde-worlde village charm and a roaring log fire. History and culture are never far away in Cambridge; where else can you stop for a pint at The Eagle pub where Nobelists Crick and Watson sketched the structure of DNA on a napkin?
Day Three
After breakfast, it's time to leave the stunning surroundings of what we like to think is one of England's best small cities! If you can't bear to tear the group away why not take a detour to another location on the way back? Military enthusiasts and those with links to the US forces might wish to experience a poignant visit to Cambridge's American Cemetery, the final resting place for 3,811 US war dead. At IWM Duxford, groups can see Spitfires take to the skies from the airfield where they first flew and walk in the footsteps of the men and women who served here. The brave can take to the skies in any one of a number of original aircraft and groups can enjoy incredible views of the airfield in private areas such as the Airside Suite.
Within a 30 - 45-minute drive from Cambridge, there are a whole host of historic attractions from grand stately homes such as Wimpole Hall, Anglesey Abbey and Audley End to the wonderfully preserved medieval villages of Suffolk's Wool Towns. For sporting groups, take in England's horseracing capital, Newmarket, to learn more about the Sport of Kings with Discover Newmarket or try movie star spotting at Ely, where the Cathedral has featured in a number of major blockbusters in recent years.
Cambridge truly is a timeless gem where past and present converge, and we'd love to help you with your plans for a historical trip soon. Get in touch for help and information about this itinerary or ideas for other incentives or group visits in Cambridge!
